Crimson Snow
by OnyxHarmony
Summary: ((prequel to Neither Here nor There. Roleplay fanfiction based on DMs with Grumpy-Zane on tumblr.)) Cole is out of it, and his baby sister is bleeding out as they rush her to the ship. Can nindroids lose their minds?
1. Stay Alive, Please

Zane watches Cole stare into space as he pries his little sister away.

Cole doesn't even _register_ Zane holding Deity.

He glances at Jay, whose hands are already sparking as Zane lays her in the snow.

Jay knows he can't be too harsh. Too much power and they'd lose her instantly.

Zane is already taking his ninja suit top off, sizing up the claw gash in the abdomen of the master of song. It's deep, so Zane radioed in for Kai to take control of the ship and park it above them. Kai may be a hot head, but he tries his best in emergency situations.

One shock, two..

"Jay..hold on." Zane reaches down and binds her abdomen tightly with his suit top. "One more." He shakily looks at his usually white gloves...they're stained crimson. Soaked through almost, from wrapping the makeshift bandage. This **shouldn't** phase him. She's been bloody before from Cole's corruption attacks. But this...there's so _much_ this time. He can smell the copper wafting up from Deity and his gloves. If he had the physical ability to get sick to his stomach, he already would have. Zane lifts his head when he finally feels it, holding two bloody fingers to the inside of her wrist. A pulse. It's weak, but it's there.

A crackle from the radio echoes in the winter night as the roar of the Bounty pulling in sounds off over head. It's Kai..and Nya.

"Is..Is she..d-" Nya asks, scared of the answer.

"Yeah, is she gone, Z?" The voice of the master of fire cracks, as Zane hears the button click against the console to bring the gurney down.

"No. Not yet. I will not let her. Kai, park it and come down here to get Cole with Jay. He can't hear us. I fear he may have gone into shock."

Jay was already squeamish and on the verge of heaving the contents of his dinner and sweets from the festival, just from getting her pulse back and getting her bandaged. By the time they got on the ship, he bows out of helping Zane stitch her up. He bolts to his room with Deity's broken metal limbs, and the door slams shut.

Zane is already cleaning her wounds out, trying to numb himself to the scene before him. He looks at his usually white suit top..discarded on the floor. Bloody. Deity is struggling, and Zane flinches when a pair of warm hands grip his shoulders.

"Zane, stay with me man. Look at her, you gotta put her under for this. Feeling it would stress her body more." Kai says, washing up at the sink in preparation to help Zane.

Zane doesn't question how Kai knows this, but then again, he did raise Nya alone. He watches the dull sapphire eyes of his sister close as Kai manages to numb her throat and get the intubation down her airway, after making sure her airway isn't blocked or full of blood.

She's asleep and breathing on assistance.

Good. That means he can…

Kai's sharp, commanding tone snaps him from his thoughts. "Hey ** _FROSTY_**. What's princess's blood type again?"

Zane doesn't miss a beat, immediately responding. "O positive, like Jay's."

Kai manages to get her hooked up with Zane's help, and they begin.

There's so much red. He never thought he'd see the inside of a human being in his lifetime, but he doesn't have much of a choice. Her appendix is torn to shreds, so he discards the bloody pieces of the thin tube and tosses it in a makeshift biohazard bin. Zane watches Kai, who is silently stitching organs Zane has deemed saved and clean. He begins stitching minor wounds that are a harsh red contrast against her cream colored skin.

The appendix was the only unsaved organ. The rest were lacerated-and then stitched properly.

He watched Kai look over the clean and slowly pulsing insides.

"I think we can start stitching her skin, Z-" Kai paused, watching the unnervingly silent blonde, who was already prepping the sterilized surgical suture.

Sure, Zane was usually quiet..but this made even Kai, concerned. "Zane-" No response. But Kai squinted at the mask over Zane's mouth as he carefully dragged suture thread and curved needle through Deity with a set of tweezers.

He has to focus. So he's trying to drown out Kai's concerned voice. Soon, he's done..and examines her carefully, proceeding to clean and bandage the stitches on her abdomen. They have her hooked to other tubes and other necessities, but right now Zane is shakily washing his hands.

She's stable and resting in a clean bed, in some loose fitting clothes so her sutures aren't irritated. One of Cole's shirts. They had always been fairly large on her because of the size difference, and they made her happy.

Zane wanted her to be happy. Even though she hadn't woken up after slowly being taken off anesthesia. Zane gripped the soap so hard his element began to freeze it. Did he mess up? Why did his hands still look **_red_**...no matter how hard he washed them? He flinched when Jay poked his head into the medical bay, the frozen soap dropping into the sink and splintering into shards at the bottom.

"Sorry, Zane..is she okay?" Jay quietly asked, not daring to comment on Zane's unusually emotional state.

He slowly turned toward his motormouthed brother. "She is as alright as can medically be expected, though I am no doctor." He had never planned on being one. But for her? For his brothers? Anything. But especially for his little sister. "We..weaned her off the surgical anesthesia but..." Zane gestures to Deity, who has fallen into a coma. "She has not..woken up." He sighs, watching Jay pull her metal limbs into the room-freshly repaired and ready to be reattached.

Jay hesitates. "Do you want me to put them back on, Z? If she's out for longer than a few days or weeks, the muscle strain would-" Jay stops. He can feel the room getting colder.

Zane is getting angry at Jay's likely logical assumption. But it's a **silent** anger..scary, even..as there's no _hint_ of it on Zane's face. "Set them by her bedside. I don't **ever** want to hear you mention that. Not right now." Zane didn't usually believe in superstition. But now? He had a horrible, painful feeling in the back of his mind. Fear. "Deity...will be fine. She is always fine." He had to hear himself say it out loud. After Jay leaves the room, Zane slowly locks the door. They're alone. He can think, now. Zane slowly turns the lights off in the medical bay.

The only light is the soft glow of her monitors.

Deity looks as though she's sleeping peacefully.

Zane's breath catches as his mask for his brothers slowly begins to fade. There it is the feeling of fear and pain welling in his chest. What if he failed? What if she never woke up?

Sitting in the dark, he starts to cry. Shaky breaths leave him as tears drip down his cheeks. Zane can't help it. He watched her almost **die**. "You must..stay alive.." His voice cracks, and he runs a hand through his hair. "Please. I..don't think I will be able to sleep tonight. Do you think I could sit with you, Deity?" A breathless sob breaks free in the near silence of the dark room. "I just want to be able to.." Dammit. He can't think.

The sharp, repetitive beep of the heart monitor only adds to his muddled thoughts.

"I just want to be able to make sure you make-"

Come on Zane, even you know the first night after an injury this harsh is vital. She has to be monitored.

"Make it through the night.."

The words sting.

Zane wipes his eyes and tries to relax in the chair. "All I ask is that you stay alive. Don't leave me behind. No one gets left behind..-" He's trying his hardest to stop crying. Zane puts his head in his hands, silently sobbing. "You promised."


	2. Nindroid Nightmares

Zane has drifted off in his chair next to Deity.

It had been a month since she slipped into a coma.

His body had gone into a forced emergency rest cycle, because he'd been running for the entire month, with small resting periods of just staring into space with minimal function to preserve energy. Now, he was trapped in his own mind. Zane once told his brothers that he didn't dream, and he lied. He'd only said such a thing so his brothers wouldn't ask if he had nightmares.

Zane was running. It was cold, and the air was thick with the metallic scent of blood. When he found Deity, he began frantically bandaging her-only to have himself transported to the operation.

But this was different. Something was _wrong_.

Kai wasn't there.

Everything was bloody and her heart rate was erratic.

She was _dying_.

Because he hadn't acted fast enough.

"No..no Deity, I-" It was his fault.

 _Killer_. **_Murderer_**.

The words echoed around him, stinging with each reverberation.

Zane's hands were deep inside her abdomen as he tried to find the source of the bleeding. "Don't..Deity Don't-" It took mere moments, and even as he frantically searched...she flat-lined. He shakily gazed at the heart monitor, blood soaked up to his wrists.

 _Gone. She was gone._

" **NO! YOU** ** _PROMISED_** **!** " Zane screamed in desperation, trying to restart her heart. He tried everything...but she was gone. The nightmare flashed to him standing in front of a mirror-but he was covered in crimson splatters, dripping down his white ninja suit. His little sister's blood.

Deity's disembodied voice rang out, and there she was standing behind him in a ghostly form. "Why didn't you save me, Zane?" She's just as bloody as he is, blood dripping from her empty eyes. "You told me everything would be alright..."

Zane stammers, watching her. "Deity, I tried..-"

She only stared at him, blood flowing faster down her pale face. Deity coughs, rasping for air as blood begins to drip from her mouth. "You couldn't protect me. Maybe you were built wrong." Her head slowly tilts to the side. "Maybe you can't save anyone."

Zane shook, looking at his blood soaked hands. "I..." Was she right?

One phrase. Just one, echoes from her bleeding mouth.

"You _killed_ me, Zane. You let me **bleed to death**."

Zane gasps as he wakes from his nightmare, body forcibly booting out of the emergency rest cycle. He starts crying as the last phrase she spoke echoes in his head. He killed her.

It takes him a moment to come back down to reality.

"No, no I didn't..!" Zane shouts, words slurring slightly from the lack of sleep still affecting his body. Rubbing his eyes and looking around, a sense of calm fills him when he sees Deity, still lying in the bed. She's still here, in the quiet with him.

The repetitive beeping of her monitors drag him further back into the harsh reality he's currently in.

Zane looks at his hands, curling his fingers as though trying to dispel the hallucination of blood on his hands.

She's alive, but just barely.

Slowly standing, Zane carefully looks over Deity and sighs. "I did my best. If you don't come back, I..." Sleep deprivation and worry is making him doubt himself of being worthy of their pact. They made it years ago, but Zane can still remember it. "I hope you pass away peacefully. I will not force you to stay with myself and the others." He slowly brushes as strand from her face. Her hair is getting messy again. Zane carefully moves her, grabbing a brush and tying her hair up after a few tries, but he makes sure to put some over her right eye.

 _She likes it that way_.

So he will keep it the way she likes.

The fear that this may be her end only grows with each passing day.

Zane lifts one of her eyelids and shines a small light in her eye, seeing it react.

Deity's pupils dilate and shrink in response to the bright light.

Good. She still has brain function.

Slowly closing her eyelid, Zane takes her vitals for what seems like the hundredth time, but he's not tired of it. All vitals are normal, so he sits back down.

She is one person who reminds him that he's human, despite the physical reminders he bares.

He places his right hand on his lower abdomen under his shirt, feeling his synthetic skin brush against cold metal. Zane cringes, looking over at Deity. He glances at the metal stub sticking out from under her blanket. The one for her right arm.

Her voice echoes in his head, a memory from the first time she saw him like this.

It was an April Fools day, and Kai had taken the liberty of thinking it was _hilarious_ to hide all of their clothes after doing the laundry.

In Zane's sudden confusion and anger, he'd rushed out of the shower, soaking wet and wrapped in a towel with metal exposed and synthetic skin shown bolted down to it. He'd been embarrassed. _Ashamed_.

Deity had followed him, carrying a backup gi and had silently sat down next to him. _'Do you think you're broken too, Zane?'_

Zane shuts his eyes for a moment, leaning back in his chair as the memory played.

He had hesitated before speaking up. ' **Yes.** '

But Deity had shushed him, shaking her head. ' _Zane, everyone is a little broken. No matter if it's physically or mentally. But it makes someone_ ** _human_** _.'_

Zane is obviously confused by this, and begins to verbally protest her deduction of him. ' _But I am a nindroid. I'm supposed to be-._ '

Deity stops him, shaking her head again. _'Perfect? No. Zane, you can't see it, but having flaws makes you human. Some people are just that way. Your flaws make you who you are. Just you. No one else.'_

Zane had dressed when Deity had her back turned, then he'd hugged her, laying his head on her back. ' _Am I human_?'

Deity stayed silent for a moment. ' _Humanity is subjective. It's not physical. It's not nerves or blood or even organs. Despite your father making you to appear as human as possible, you learned the behaviors all on your own. Compassion, brotherly love, kindness and consideration for others..understanding, sympathy and tolerance. I see past your bolted skin and the hum of your power source in your chest. So do your brothers. You are_ human _, Zane. In the most wonderful sense of the word._ '

Zane opens his eyes to pry himself away from the memory and presses a hand to his cheek. He's crying. It's sad, because she's laying before him in a comatose state, but..he's smiling. Because she was right. If he wasn't human, or even human like, seeing her lie there wouldn't hurt so much. He wouldn't _care_. After a brief glance to Deity's metal limbs collecting dust in the corner and waiting for her, he shakes his head with a sad smile. "No, Deity. _We_ are human."


	3. Silent Lightning

Her birthday..February twentieth. Jay slowly lifts his head to look at the clock on his bedside table. It's nine pm. She's been in her coma for quite some time now..but he hasn't bothered to check exactly how long. Has it been it been two months? He lazily gets up from the bed, tugging some jeans and a shirt on. Yes..the festival had been on December twentieth..and today was February twentieth..two months, since Deity had been..asleep. He's been having the strangest nightmare about his beloved sister lately. Zane's muffled voice telling him to pace his shocks and keep them gentle..but she looks asleep in the fresh white snow, as they try and restart her heart. To regulate her pulse. Cole silently stares into nothing, crying like he'd lost the love of his life. He shakes his head from his thoughts. Cole, his poor best friend..the boulder was still sulking in his room, calling them liars anytime they tried to get him to come see her. Picking up a box from his dresser, he catches a glimpse of the television and game console in the corner..and a grimace crosses his face. He doesn't want to play games anymore..not without her. It's just..not the same. Shaking his head and slowly locking the door as he leaves, Jay makes his way down the hallway to the medical bay.

 _'Mom..is she up there with you?'_ Jay asks in his mind, but he's speaking to his mother. Not to Edna, no. A few years ago, Deity had revealed pictures of his real mother..holding him as a baby. Being adopted was a heavy shock to him..but family wasn't blood. It's love, and that's all that ever mattered to Jay, especially with Deity and his brothers. _'We know she's not dead..but are you taking care of her?'_ Another question to his loving, departed mother. Mistaké had raised Deity as a child after the loss of her parents, and had told her stories about their parents. Maybe the old tea shop owner did know their parents..she was certainly old enough to have known them. Slowly opening the door to the medical bay..he can see Zane washing his hands again. There's nothing on his hands..can nindroids have mental breakdowns? Jay pauses, watching the droid repeat his actions. He slowly sets his box down, gently turning the water off and taking the now frozen soap from the ice elemental. "Zane.." Jay slowly turns the droid around to face him. He can tell Zane has been crying. Slowly tugging him into his arms, Jay rubs his back. "It's okay, Zane. She's not gonna leave you all alone." He knows Zane has a big heart..and a terribly soft spot for the song elemental. "You're her best friend for cryin' out loud!" Zane pauses, frowning as he lays his head on Jay's shoulder. "Her..best friend..? When..when did she say that?" Jay hesitates. The answer will hurt the shaking nindroid. "The night of the festival." Jay can feel the shoulder of his shirt getting wet. He's crying again. A pained sob breaks free from Zane's throat..it hurts knowing she said such a wonderful thing, mere hours before she had stained his white gloves with her blood.

Zane shakily holds onto Jay, giving him a squeeze. He's so tired..but he can't sleep. He keeps having the **nightmare**..he can't take seeing her in his dreams..bloody and blaming him-. Jay slowly tugs his nindroid brother away to look at him. "Zane, you should sleep, I-" Zane is shaking his head. Why is he..oh no-. "You can't sleep, can you? You see her when you do..is it a nightmare?" Zane lets out a shaky breath, as silent..painful sobs leave him and he nods. He won't speak of what the nightmare contains, but staying awake is killing his processors. He's starting to hallucinate. Blood on his hands..seeing her bleeding out, her wounds still open-. He wipes his eyes, trying not to bother his brother too much with his pain. The next words out of his mouth shock the lightning elemental. "Jay would..would you force me into an emergency rest state? Without-" Jay finishes his sentence, watching him. "Without REM sleep active, so you don't see her, right? Look, I can't mess with your neural drive, but I'll do what I can. Shirt up, Frosty." Zane hesitates, wiping his eyes as he tugs his pajama shirt up. Jay knows Zane hates the way he's bolted together-so Jay is quick to open his chest panel. Carefully looking inside, he finds the right switch and catches Zane with his shoulder when the droid slumps over onto him. Jay closes the chest panel and carries the droid to his bed, shaking his head. "Get some sleep, Frosty. She needs you as rested as you can be."

Coming back into the medical bay, Jay silently closes the door and shuts the lights off, aside from a small lamp next to the chair. Jay doesn't..usually cry, no. But right now? The lightning elemental takes a shaky breath and scoots the chair a little closer, wiping his eyes. He's crying. No sound comes out, he just lets the wet drip down his cheeks. If he doesn't let it out in some way, he might snap at Kai again. Digging in his box he brought, he shakes his head. "You know, instead of being worried you might leave us..how about I make sure you know we still care? We do care its just-" He sighs, tugging a stuffed dragon from the box and setting it next to her. "We miss you, Melody." That was his nickname for her..just his. He watches her, forcibly smiling. "Not really the same without you, you know? Trash talking me while we play Smash, or even just playing a co-op game and teasing me, I-" Jay hears his own voice breaking and clears his throat, going silent for a minute. He had never cried in front of anyone, before. "I should be happy you're around for another birthday..no matter what state you're in.." He looks at the music pod and Cole's headphones, that are in his box. He slowly tugs them out and turns on the music pod, hooking up the headphones. "Hey...if you see my mom..could-" He turns to look at his sister, slowly fitting the headphones of the earth master onto Deity's head. "Tell her I love her, okay? And..And I'm not mad, for her giving me up. She did what she had to do."

He carefully switches the song on the music pod to something soft, shaking his head. He wasn't mad at Cole for doing this. No one was..they just needed their sister, and Cole needed his love. _'Mom..please take care of her. I don't think Cole could take it if she died.'_ The ginger rubs his face, sitting back in the chair. He just lets her listen to music for a few moments, while he stares at the ceiling. When the songs are done, Jay tugs the headphones off and puts the music pod away. "Deity..Happy Birthday. Truly. I really hope you're around for a lot more of them. I..-" His voice is breaking again. He can't help but chuckle to himself, wiping his eyes. "L-Look what you made me do..Melody-I've sprung a leak.." He can't stop, now. He just cries, watching his "sleeping" sister. She'll wake up, won't she? He won't have to shock her heart back into beating ever again, right? He doesn't want to. He doesn't want to see her half dead, ever again. Taking a breath and wiping his eyes, Jay digs in the box again. "Where is it..Ah!" Jay tugs a wrapped box out of the box he brought, shaking his head. "Man, I'd lose my head if it wasn't attached.." He sighs, unwrapping the box for her because she can't. "I wanted to give you this when we found out you were the elemental master of song.. But I was still sorta workin' on it." He feels a little silly, thinking back to when they found out. She'd been so confused. Elements weren't always genetic..he'd come to learn that through Zane. He takes a breath, opening the box and taking the music note pendant on the silk ribbon out. "It's not just pretty-what, you think I wouldn't make it functional, too?" He's talking to himself..he can only hope the theory that people in comas can hear is true. "I think I'd be in a lot of..treble if I didn't make it functional." He slowly smiles at the pun, lifting her head so he can tie the satin ribbon loosely around her neck. "The pendant has a few sensors in it that'll help regulate the tone and pitch of your sonic screams.. I mean I know you can do it on your own in time, but you were still training and learning before-" He takes a shaky breath, laying her head back down after the ribbon is gently tied around her neck. "Before you..fell asleep." He clears his throat, adjusting the music note pendant on her throat. "When you wake up, and you're all trained up..the sensors will help when you're fatigued from battle, too. It'll provide the same function."

Jay glances at the clock..11:30pm. God..had he been talking to his sister for nearly two hours? He looked at the sleeping song elemental and felt his chest tighten. "Guess time flies, huh? Just like when we play video games.." He shuts his eyes for a minute. "It's almost not your birthday, but I do want you to know something, Deity." Opening his eyes halfway, he stares at the large and loose black shirt she's in. "Cole loves you. He won't believe you're in here, but he did see you nearly die in his arms. He thinks he really killed you..I'm not..one to be serious unless there's a need for it, but all I ask is that you try not to forget us. Don't.." His voice cracked. "Don't let me lose my sister, okay?" He silently packs his box up, leaving the pendant around her neck and the stuffed dragon by her side. They had to smile, for her sake. "Happy Birthday, Deity. Wake up from your nap soon, okay? I need my player two." He opens the door to the hallway to see Zane-the droid could run on little sleep-but not for long. "Zane, you should-" The droid shakes his head. "Why don't you go sleep? I will take care of player two."


	4. Watched Over

Zane silently rode in the ambulance beside his comatose sister. They had found some...interesting developments in the search for Garmadon, and now they would have to cross the sea in the search for this..Dark Island. Despite Zane being mostly well rested, they had no idea what lie across the sea they must sail across. So..it was safest to leave her behind. That way someone could care for her. Cole sat beside him with a rather worried expression. Zane carefully puts his hand on Cole's arm-merely a comforting gesture as he watches Cole slowly brush Deity's hair away from the left side of her face. "She doesn't like it on the left side of her face, Zane.. Are you sure this is the safest-" Zane carefully pats his brother's arm. "Unfortunately, yes. We have no idea what we'll be facing, and with all of us fighting, no one would be on the ship to care for her." Cole slowly nods, trying to reassure himself that she will be..safe. Zane had let Cole enlist the help of his father to watch over Deity while they were gone-and Doctor Richter had treated Mistake once and Deity had volunteered there fairly often, so the older man was more than happy to pay for a room to house and care for Deity while they were away. He had said that Deity had always been a bright ray of sunshine in an otherwise dreary hospital. Lou on the other hand..Cole had kept in contact with his father a bit more since the incident that took Deity's left leg from her..but this had been hard to explain. Lou hadn't been..angry. Just concerned.

Lou had asked if she was alright, what all had transpired..if Cole himself was okay. A brief smile formed on Cole's face as he felt the ambulance come to a stop, and watched Deity silently breathing on the stretcher. She would be..cared for. Helping the medics carefully get the stretcher out of the back of the ambulance, Cole and Zane silently walked along the halls to the room provided in the Intensive Care Unit. Cole could see Zane's hand gripping the railing of the stretcher. He was just as worried as Cole was-maybe more so due to the fact that he was the one who had operated on her and saved her life in the first place. Zane had been caring for and watching over Deity for the past year and three months. "Frosty..she's gonna be okay. I'm worried too, though..I-" Cole's train of thought was interrupted by an older man's voice cutting through the air-as well as his father's. "Ohhh! My yes, The Royal Blacksmiths. Wonderful voices, truly." The greying man nods, as he comes around the corner with Lou. "Well we still perform! Except for that one incident. I swear, the percussionist had it out for me." Richter lets out a brief laugh, only to stop when he sees Deity being led in on the stretcher by Zane and Cole. He frowns, watching the raven haired girl peacefully resting in her coma. "My my..what a sad little bird. She seems very fond of you two, though. I see no other ninja-I take it they are preparing the ship, as Lou told me?" Cole rubs the back of his neck as they wheel the stretcher into the room. "Yeah. They're resupplying the ship and making sure we're ready to sail."

Richter nods, then looks at Zane. "Would you like to reconnect her from the portables to our machines with me? You seem very fond of your little sister." The doctor lets a brief smile form on his face. "Look at you..never had a lick of training in your life, but you learned it to keep her and your brothers safe." Zane begins lifting his sister with Cole's help, and carefully lays her down. As he begins to safely connect her to the machines in the room, he nods. "Yes, I did. I did not want her to.." Richter nods, watching the ice master. "You've done well, though. You saved her." Zane connected the last item and sighed, lifting his head from the machines to watch the doctor. "That is yet to be determined, seeing as she is not awake and talking. But..thank you." The old man watches Zane, stroking his beard. "Very true, young man. Very true. I promise you, she is in very good hands. I will watch over her while Lou goes to see you boys off." He shakes his head. "But first, come to my office. I need some information." Lou gives Zane and Cole a nod, as if to say he's got it from here. Zane takes a brief look at his sister and smiles. They will see her again. Cole takes a bit longer to follow however, tugging a black bandana from his pocket. It's a little old and worn out, but..it's of some significance to the two of them. He carefully ties the little black bandana around Deity's wrist, away from the IV. "I'll be back. Don't go leaving me, Songbird." Dashing out of the room, Cole quickly catches up with Richter and Zane.

Doctor Richter opens the door to his office down the hall, heading inside with the two elemental masters. "I only need care instructions..I can see that Zane is very particular when it comes to his little sister. But first, would either of you boys like some cake?" Cole, who had previously been lost in thought, breaks his concentration and lifts his head to watch the doctor. Zane on the other hand, shakes his head. "Sir we don't have time for-" Cole puts his hand on Zane's shoulder. "Zane, Zane..never turn down hospitality. That uh..wouldn't happen to be chocolate cake would it?" A hint of hopefulness is present in the earth master's voice. Richter chuckles and hands Cole a small cake puff, and they begin. As Zane and Cole leave the hospital, Lou leaves to see them off. Cole is his son, after all. Upon returning, Lou carefully sits in the chair beside Deity, and watches her. "You know, you and Cole remind me a bit of myself and his mother..aside from the whole..attacks part. Did I ever tell you how she and I met?" Lou started his story, getting comfortable in the chair next to the woman that had stolen his son's heart. "We had just gotten onstage after making sure we looked presentable, and I had begun adjusting the microphone..when I looked out to the crowd. I was seeing what kind of people we had to entertain that night. As I scanned over the crowd, my gaze was drawn to just..the most wonderful woman that I'd ever seen. In my entire life. She looked right back at me, giving me a gentle wave before someone else began to talk to her." Lou sighed and took a deep breath. He missed her...quite a lot actually. "It felt like my heart stopped. It wasn't just her beauty, either. She had this..air about her. Strong and confident..a bit playful."

He chuckled a little, shaking his head. "I was lost in thought, just staring at her when my bandmate, Ollie..he got my attention and chuckled, snapping me out of it. As we started singing, though we sang perfectly and never missed a single beat-my head wasn't in the right place. My mind kept wandering..as well as my eyes. She kept giggling and looking back at me whenever she caught my gaze with hers." Lou sighed and shut his eyes, remembering. "I could feel my face heating up each time we caught each other's gaze.." He couldn't help but chuckle, opening his eyes to look at Deity. "I truly think you caught Cole's attention the same way..but he was scared. Which now that I understand what exactly has been going on..I understand why he was closed off. He didn't want to hurt you. Despite er..that actually happening." Lou shakes his head and watches her. "Sometimes.. people keep others at a distance. For their own good. I really am glad you managed to climb over his walls. He needs someone.. and you must've done something right, seeing as he's never written to me about anyone regarding love before you." Lou carefully leaned forward, examining the bandana around her wrist. "I take it that this holds some heavy significance for the two of you, hm?" He knows she can't respond..but she could probably hear him. Lou leans back in the chair and sighs. "Many things can hold significance, no matter how many years have passed. Bandanas, wedding bands..fish." Oh man, he hadn't thought about his wife this much in a long time.

Lou begins humming..it's a very particular tune, and it makes his heart hurt a little bit. Soon, he's singing softly. He can't help it. _"If you said goodbye to me tonight, there would still be music left to write.."_ Lou watches Deity as he continues, wondering if his wife is watching over this little bird. _"What else could I do, I'm so inspired by you.."_ He clears the pain in his throat, sighing a little. Can she hear me too? Do you feel better now, love? As Lou sings, his mind seems to drift, thinking of the first time he sang this for Cole's mother. He'd convinced his group to get into the theater-which they'd somehow managed to make sure was empty. He'd made sure he sang his very best. Just for her. _"Once I thought my innocence was gone, now I know that happiness goes on.."_ A slow smile crosses his face. _"That's where you found me.."_ Lou still remembered how easily he'd fallen..their life together had been wonderful, and had given him Cole. It had given him nights of coming home from a concert, seeing her as he walked in. He was always so exhausted-dancing and singing for people was tiring. She'd be sitting on the couch, waiting for him. He'd flop down on the couch with her and soon just..fall asleep. _"When you put your arms around me.."_ Lou sighs and watches Deity, wondering if his wife can hear him too. He hopes she knows how proud he is of their son. He misses being in her arms.

 _ **"I haven't been there for the longest time.."**_


End file.
